Sony Computer Entertanment Europe has released full details of its subscription-based PlayStation Plus service announced at E3.
Set to go live on June 29, the new offering will give members a selection of games, discounts, exclusive items from the PlayStation Store and full game trials.
Minister for culture, communications and creative industries Ed Vaizey has said that he’s "disappointed" the coalition government won’t be able to introduce tax breaks for the UK games industry, as announced in its Emergency Budget earlier this week.
Multiple retailers have called on Microsoft to launch Kinect with a sub-£100 price tag.
“Sub-£100 and Kinect will benefit immensely,” Morrisons games buyer Nick Sultanti told MCV. “People are going to compare price points between Move and Kinect and it would be fairly detrimental if there is a major price discrepancy in favour of Move.”
Super Mario Galaxy 2 bounced back to the top of the Japanese software chart during the week ended June 20.
The Wii sequel moved 53,000 copies, down from 73,000 the previous week when it lost the top spot to Xenoblade, which placed fourth in the latest chart.
Sandwiched between the pair were two new DS games, Capcom’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective with 24,000 sales, and Nintendo’s Art Academy with 21,000.
PrimeSense plans to bring the 3D sensing technology it provided for Xbox 360’s Kinect to PCs and televisions in the near future.
Vice president Adi Berenson told Engadget that the company’s goal is to enable natural human control over TV-based media consumption.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata believes that a lack of quality games – and not the bad economy – is primarily to blame for slow software sales.
Multimedia firm RealNetworks has announced “a significant reorganisation of its business and operational structure” resulting in 85 layoffs, including about 25 per cent of its executive ranks.
The firm said in a statement it has consolidated its Technology Products and Solutions and Media Software and Services business units and reduced its office space in Europe, Asia and its Seattle headquarters.
As a result of the restructuring the company expects to record charges of around $10 million for the quarter ending June 30, 2010.
Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has described 3D and motion controls as “minimal additions” to existing console technology.
The executive told GamesIndustry.biz that he thought home stereoscopic 3D was "not bad, but only so-so", and that Kinect is "just a small extension to what is already available".
China’s Ministry of Culture has outlined a number of strict online gaming regulations set to come into effect on August 1.
The clampdown will forbid "unwholesome" content from appearing in online games targeting at those under the age of 18, including content that advocates pornography, cults, superstitions, gambling and violence, according to Xinhua News.
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has claimed that the company is unconcerned by increased sales momentum for rival consoles as Wii adoption experiences a slowdown.
Nintendo sold 20.53 million Wiis in the financial year ended March 31, 2010, and expects sales of the console to fall to 18 million units during the current year. Nevertheless, Fils-Aime thinks the system will continue to widen the sales advantage it currently holds over PS3 and Xbox 360.
Microsoft knows many consumers are of the opinion that the platform holder hasn’t delivered in the PC games market.
Games For Windows Live has been a failure and the company has opted to cancel PC versions of titles such as Alan Wake, suggesting that the Xbox platform is its priority.
Three million iPads have been sold in 80 days, Apple has announced.
The tablet device launched in the US on April 3 and internationally on May 28.
Apple said that developers have created over 11,000 new apps for iPad, which is also capable of running “almost all” of the 225,000 apps on the App Store.
“People are loving iPad as it becomes a part of their daily lives,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs. “We’re working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more people around the world.”
Microsoft has explained the lack of core-focused Kinect titles by spelling out that the upcoming motion sensing device is targeted at a broader audience.
The platform holder told Kotaku that this is a great year for core games on Xbox 360, but said that they will be controller-based.
Microsoft has detailed a new Xbox Live family subscription option that will offer four XBL Gold memberships for $99.99.
Available this November to coincide with the launch of family friendly Kinect, the family pack will include:
• Up to four individual Xbox LIVE Gold memberships for the price of two – (US) $99.99.
• Family Center – a single, easy to use, destination for Family Settings and account management, accessible on the Xbox dashboard and on Xbox.com.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said that development costs for high-end 3DS titles may approach Wii levels.
That’s down to the increased graphical capabilities the portable has over its predecessors, and not due to the new 3D visual effects it’s capable of producing.
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Everything goes black when you boot Joe Danger for the first time. That was how the game launched, on our retail PS3 and across the US. The screen went black, and stayed black.
It was apt. Apt that it was midnight when we saw it for the first time. Apt that the four of us were in the office, once more surrounded by breakfast bowls and takeaway cartons. And it was particularly apt that the game looked properly fucked.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has admitted that company isn’t satisfied with its efforts in the online space.
“Of course, I have heard commentary that people feel that Nintendo’s online functionality is behind the others or is lacking in some ways. And I can say that we are not currently satisfied with the online efforts that we have made so far, and we are working at ways to improve those,” he said during an E3 analyst Q&A session.
Activision has said that its market dominance has resulted in the company being targeted by “a very vocal minority”.
Despite the publisher coming in for what COO Thomas Tippl feels is some unjust criticism, the executive acknowledged that the company can do a better job from a PR and community perspective.
Game developer trade association TIGA and publisher body ELSPA have both expressed their disappointment over the government’s decision to abandon plans to introduce tax relief for the UK games industry.
“The Coalition Government has broken pre-election pledges made by the Conservative Party and by the Liberal Democrats to support and introduce Games Tax Relief,” said TIGA CEO Richard Wilson.
As part of its Emergency Budget, the UK coalition government has confirmed that it won’t introduce tax breaks for the domestic games industry.
Tax relief for the games sector had been proposed by the former Labour government earlier this year, with ex-Chancellor Alistair Darling suggesting the that industry would be offered subsidies similar to those enjoyed by the UK film sector.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has become the highest grossing game-to-movie adaptation of all time.
Worldwide box office revenues for the film currently stand at $293.9 million, topping the $274.7 million taken by previous record holder Lara Croft Tomb Raider, according to Box Office Mojo (via Big Download).
Social game maker Playdom has secured investment of $33 million in its latest funding round.
The company’s backers included Disney’s Steamboat Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and New World Ventures, according to TechCrunch.
Microsoft is to launch the new slim Xbox 360 in Japan on June 24.
The console will retail for 29,800 yen ($328 / £223), the same price as the existing Elite model, which itself will be discounted by 17 per cent to 24,800 yen ($273 / £185).
Announced at E3, the console went on sale in the US last week and will hit Europe on July 16.
Nintendo’s 3DS will release by March 31, 2011 in all of the company’s key territories.
The platform holder hasn’t ruled out a staggered launch across different markets, but US president Reggie Fils-Aime has confirmed that the device will be available in Japan, the US and Europe by the end of the company’s fiscal year.
Microsoft's online store has begun taking pre-orders for Kinect and is listing the motion sensing camera at $149.99.